The Wall Street Journalreports Apple and its suppliers are delaying mass production of the 12.9-inch “iPad Pro,” in order to deal with strong demand for the iPhone 6 Plus. The publication says Apple has originally planned to mass produce the larger tablet in December.

Mockup of 12.9-in ‘iPad Pro’ Next to a 13-in MacBook Air – Courtesy MacRumors

“The top priority for the supply chain is to meet the overwhelming demand for the larger screen iPhones. The output of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus remains unsatisfactory,” said a person at a supplier. “It would be challenging for display makers to split resources and spend a few months to ramp up production for a new larger screen iPad now.”

The report goes on to state that Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn is experiencing issues in hiring enough workers to assemble both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at its factory in Zhengzhou, China. Adding a new device such as the “iPad Pro” to the manufacturing mix would merely add to the hiring issues.

Sources told The Wall Street Journal that the 12.9-inch iPad will feature a resolution similar to the current iPad Air’s 2048 x 1536 display. Suppliers are also said to be preparing for mass production of the 12-inch MacBook Air in December.

The much-rumored iPad Pro is expected to sport a 12.9-inch display, with a higher pixel density. The device is seen as an attempt to boost lagging sales of the iPad.

Apple is expected to unveil the 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 and next-generation Retina iPad mini alongside new iMacs and (hopefully) a new Mac Mini at a Thursday, October 16 event.